If Will Power is to overcome a 33-point deficit to Alex Palou to win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Presented by Gainbridge on Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway, a lot must go right for him.
There have only been a couple of instances since 2000 that a series driver has come from that far back to win the title. Ryan Hunter-Reay made up 19 points on Power in 2012, and Scott Dixon went from third to first – a leap of 47 points – in the double-points race to end the 2015 season.
Power realizes the road ahead of him is daunting, but he also knows it can be done.
While Power starts fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet, Palou is much deeper in the field. He qualified 15th but will start the 206-lap oval race from the 24th position (of 27 cars) after his No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was dealt a grid penalty for an unapproved engine change after the Sept. 1 race in Milwaukee.
“He's in sort of a bad spot,” Power said of Palou.
Palou joins Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet), Alexander Rossi (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet), Nolan Siegel (No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) and Christian Rasmussen (No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet) in the cars taking grid penalties for the race airing at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, Universo and INDYCAR Radio Network.
Given how far back he starts, Palou said he doesn’t think “we can take a very conservative approach.”
Palou faces the challenging task of finding the limit of aggression versus overstepping the boundaries. The last time he pushed the limits, he crashed and finished 23rd in the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart on July 13 at Iowa Speedway. He isn’t sure how to balance the necessary aggressiveness with the dangers of starting so deep in the pack.
“That depends on what I see going on and how we’re moving,” he said. “From 24th, we don’t really lose many places.”
Power and Team Penske weighed the risk versus the reward in making the decision to change an engine as Palou’s team did, but they decided to stick with their existing powerplant.
The 33 points separating the two is the seventh-largest point margin with a race remaining since 2008. During that span, the average lead with one race remaining is 29.9 points.
Power must finish third or better to take his third series championship. If Power wins, Palou must finish ninth or better.
“We won’t be thinking much about him, to be honest,” Power said. “We have to win the race. Unless he crashes early or something, he eventually is going to make his way up there.”
Kirkwood Crashes in Final Practice
Andretti Global had to work overtime Saturday night after NTT P1 Award winner Kyle Kirkwood crashed in the rain-delayed final practice.
A shower of sparks trailed from Kirkwood's No. 27 AutoNation Honda after it crossed the bump between Turns 3 and 4 that is capturing every driver's attention this weekend. Kirkwood then spun and backed into the SAFER Barrier in Turn 4. He climbed from the car without injury, but there was moderate damage to his pole car.
Kirkwood told team strategist Bryan Herta on the radio that he thought something broke in the back of the car.
Dixon led the short session at 195.621 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, more than 1.5 mph faster than second place David Malukas at 194.087 in the No. 66 AutoNation/Arctic Wolf Honda of Meyer Shank Racing.
Championship protagonists Palou and Power ended up 14th and 15th, respectively, yet separated by a sizable 1.287 mph.
Penske Teammates Ready To Help Power
Power starts one row behind Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden, who will start second in his No. 2 Hitachi Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet.
Newgarden, a native of the Nashville suburb of Hendersonville, Tennessee, has won 10 of the last 17 oval races on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. While a win Sunday won’t necessarily help Power, it’s possible Newgarden can be a buffer between the title contenders.
Power said he will approach Newgarden to have a chat about coordinating a plan at the start but noted the challenges of a coordinated start.
“He knows the plan,” Power said of Newgarden. “He knows we’ve got to try and get as many points and get to the front. I think (Newgarden’s team) will run their race for a while, but you always talk about teammate help. You’ve got to be in the vicinity of them to receive the help.”
McLaughlin is willing to help Power, too. He is the top statistical oval driver this season and tied with Newgarden for most oval victories (two). His 3.5 average finish and 556 oval laps led are best among all drivers. He qualified ninth but the grid penalty for an engine change drops him to 18th.
“Will's in a great spot,” McLaughlin said. “No engine penalty certainly helps. We'll do what we need to do to help him out, as well.”
Power Facing Emotional Weekend
Power had an overflow of emotion when he won the 2018 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. With the personal challenges Power endured in his championship defense season of 2023, expect an outpour of emotion if Power rallies to secure his third championship Sunday.
“That would be a fantastic moment for all of us,” he said. “I would be very emotional. I’m getting goosebumps thinking about it.”
Power’s wife, Liz, and son, Beau, are at Nashville Superspeedway to take in the championship pursuit this weekend. The family being together allows Power to feel fortunate to race at all.
Liz was in ill health a year ago, dealing with a life-threatening infection in her spinal column. Her health nearly drove Power into retirement. His mind wasn’t in the right place to perform on track in a competitive series in 2023. For the first time in 17 seasons, Power failed to win a race. That was the first time since 2004 and Dixon that a defending series champion went winless a year later.
“I feel lucky to do this, and she got through that,” he said. “We're still just very fortunate as people, to get to do this a job and live the way we do. Just a lucky man.”
Palou Fortunate To Battle Power for Title
Palou stopped to chat with Power during the post-qualifying media scrum on pit road at Nashville Superspeedway. The two exchanged pleasantries, and despite the intense championship battle, they shared insight about their respective qualifying runs.
“It’s been great,” Palou said of his relationship with Power. “I think he’s been one of the best relationships I had with people that’s not on my team (Chip Ganassi Racing). It’s not that we go out together or anything but just pure, good relationship. I have a huge respect for him as a driver. It’s good. As you can see, we like to joke around, but we take it serious, too.”
If Palou could hold off Power, he would become the first back-to-back series champion since Dario Franchitti’s three-year reign from 2009-11.
Juncos Hollinger Deploys Unique Panels
Juncos Hollinger Racing became this weekend the first NTT INDYCAR SERIES team to activate display panels inside its car, in the No. 77 Chevrolet driven by Romain Grosjean. The team tested the concept at the Milwaukee Mile during the Labor Day weekend doubleheader and was given the green light to deploy the innovative technology at Nashville Superspeedway for the season finale.
Seamless Digital collaborated with JHR to display partner logos and imagery as static prints on the inner portion of the aeroscreen. The car features a customizable digital display system allowing an innovative look in advertising technology, rotating ads.
“One of our team’s main priorities is to champion the things that other teams haven’t done before, leading the charge to change the industry for the better,” said Ricardo Juncos, JHR founder and co-owner. “The technology and opportunities Seamless Digital provide to grow our sponsors and partners will allow our team to grow beyond what has been possible before.”
McLaren Racing CEO Brown Honored
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown was honored Thursday with the 10th annual International Motor Racing Research Center’s Cameron R. Argetsinger Award, presented for his outstanding contributions to motorsport.
Brown was presented with an etched glass trophy at a gala dinner by founding member and past president of the IMRRC, J.C. Argetsinger.
“It’s an honor and privilege and a surprise to win this very prestigious award,” Brown said. “The legends that have won this award are some of my heroes growing up. I’m so happy to be able to work in this awesome sport of ours and with McLaren, specifically.”
Odds and Ends
- Three drivers have previous starts at Nashville Superspeedway: Dixon, Power and Graham Rahal. Dixon has six starts, the most of all drivers. Only Dixon has led laps at the track, leading 247 laps in his six starts. He won three races in a row here from 2006-08.
- Felix Rosenqvist qualified third in his No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda for Meyer Shank Racing. Rosenqvist has qualified in the top 10 in six of the final seven races this season, including four in the top five.
- Malukas qualified sixth in his No. 66 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda, giving Meyer Shank Racing two cars in the top six of the starting lineup, matching MSR’s previous best qualifying effort set in July at Toronto. Both drivers are starting in the same spots Sunday and in the Honda Indy Toronto. MSR has 15 top-six qualifying runs this season, marking the fifth time this year that both cars qualified in the top 10. That run includes double top-10 starting spots in four of the year’s final five oval track starts.
- Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) will make a Formula One practice return Oct. 25 for the opening practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix. The opportunity to drive a car in his home country is part of his duties as a reserve driver for McLaren F1. O’Ward drove the car in two first practice sessions last season for the team.